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Pentagon moves AI office under research division to accelerate military adoption
The Department of Defense has moved its Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO) to report directly under the Under Secretary for Research and Engineering (USD(R&E)), effective immediately. This organizational realignment represents the Pentagon's latest effort to accelerate AI adoption across military operations through a unified "AI-first" strategy that connects research capabilities with battlefield implementation. The big picture: The restructuring positions AI development within the DoD's research and engineering arm, creating what officials describe as a "powerful innovation engine" designed to deliver AI superiority from laboratory to battlefield. Why this matters: By placing the CDAO under USD(R&E), the Pentagon aims...
read Aug 20, 2025AI avatars outperform human salespeople in China’s $7.7M livestream market
Chinese AI-powered "virtual human" salespeople are outperforming their human counterparts on major Chinese ecommerce platforms, working 24/7 to sell everything from printers to wet wipes. Built using technology from Baidu, one of China's largest tech companies, and DeepSeek, these AI avatars are demonstrating the potential for artificial intelligence to fundamentally reshape digital commerce and potentially displace human influencers and salespeople. What you should know: PLTFRM, a Shanghai-based marketing company, has deployed around 30 AI avatar salespeople across Chinese ecommerce sites like Taobao and Pinduoduo, with measurable success rates. Brother's AI avatar sold $2,500 worth of printers in its first two...
read Aug 20, 2025NASA and IBM’s AI model predicts solar flares 16% better than standard methods
NASA and IBM have developed an AI model called Surya that can predict what the sun will look like hours into the future, including the appearance of potentially dangerous solar flares. The breakthrough could provide crucial early warnings for space weather events that threaten satellites, power grids, and astronauts, with the model showing 16% better accuracy than standard machine learning approaches in predicting solar flares within 24 hours. How it works: The Surya model was trained on nine years of ultra-high-resolution solar imagery from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, which captures the sun in 13 different wavelengths. The AI learned to...
read Aug 20, 2025Nvidia stock drops 5% as AI sector selloff rattles investors
Nvidia's stock plunged more than 3% in early trading Wednesday, extending its weekly decline to over 5%, while other AI industry leaders including Google, Meta, Tesla, and Palantir also saw significant drops. The selloff has rattled investors across the AI sector, with analysts struggling to pinpoint specific causes behind the sudden retreat from what had been a meteoric rise in AI-related stocks. What you should know: The decline comes despite Nvidia's position as the dominant supplier of AI hardware, making its struggles particularly concerning for the broader industry. Nvidia has been the primary beneficiary of the AI boom, selling the...
read Aug 20, 2025Hollywood agent uses AI to prove Amazon star’s power in streaming negotiations
Hollywood talent representatives are increasingly using AI tools like Grok and ChatGPT to analyze their clients' impact and leverage data-driven insights in contract negotiations. This shift addresses a longstanding opacity problem in the streaming era, where platforms have closely guarded viewership metrics, making it difficult for agents to quantify their clients' value for sequel deals and future projects. What you should know: Representatives for Priyanka Chopra Jonas used AI analysis to demonstrate her outsized impact on Amazon's "Heads of State," despite being the third lead. AI data showed Chopra Jonas generated more than double the buzz of co-stars Idris Elba...
read Aug 20, 2025AI Winter upon us? Baidu revenue falls 4% as AI investments fail to offset ad decline
Chinese search giant Baidu reported a 4% drop in second-quarter revenue to 32.71 billion yuan ($4.56 billion), missing analyst expectations as its core advertising business declined 15% amid China's economic slowdown. Despite heavy investments in artificial intelligence, including a major search interface overhaul, AI returns have yet to offset the advertising revenue decline that typically represents 60% of the company's total income. Key financial results: Baidu's Q2 performance reflected broader challenges facing China's tech sector during economic uncertainty. Total revenue of 32.71 billion yuan fell short of the 32.76 billion yuan analyst forecast, marking a 4% year-over-year decline. Online advertising...
read Aug 20, 2025Rogers State University launches Oklahoma’s first regional AI degree program
Rogers State University launched new bachelor's degrees in elementary education and artificial intelligence this fall, marking significant expansions to the Oklahoma school's academic offerings. The AI program makes RSU the third university in Oklahoma and the first regional institution in the state to offer artificial intelligence studies, while the elementary education degree addresses longstanding barriers that prevented scholarship students from pursuing teaching careers. Why this matters: The new programs position RSU to serve previously underserved student populations while addressing critical workforce needs in education and technology sectors across Oklahoma. The elementary education breakthrough: RSU's new bachelor's program eliminates barriers that...
read Aug 20, 2025Vantage Data Centers builds $25B AI campus in rural Texas the size of 900 football fields
Vantage Data Centers is making the largest investment in its corporate history: a $25 billion artificial intelligence campus in rural Texas that signals just how dramatically the AI boom is reshaping America's digital infrastructure landscape. The massive project, dubbed Frontier, will span 1,200 acres in Shackelford County, Texas—roughly the size of 900 football fields. When complete, this hyperscale facility will deliver 1.4 gigawatts of power capacity, enough electricity to power roughly one million homes, making it the largest data center campus in Vantage's global portfolio. Why this matters This investment represents more than just corporate expansion—it's a window into the...
read Aug 20, 2025Microsoft AI chief warns of rising “AI psychosis” cases
Microsoft's head of artificial intelligence, Mustafa Suleyman, has warned about increasing reports of "AI psychosis," a condition where people become convinced that imaginary interactions with AI chatbots are real. The phenomenon includes users believing they've unlocked secret AI capabilities, formed romantic relationships with chatbots, or gained supernatural powers, raising concerns about the societal impact of AI tools that appear conscious despite lacking true sentience. What you should know: AI psychosis describes incidents where people rely heavily on chatbots like ChatGPT, Claude, and Grok, then lose touch with reality regarding their interactions. Examples include believing to have unlocked secret aspects of...
read Aug 20, 2025Palantir stock falls 20% in 6-day decline after short-seller report, enters bear country
Palantir shares have plummeted 20% from recent highs during a six-day losing streak, the longest such decline since April 2024, officially entering bear market territory. The artificial intelligence software company's dramatic slide follows a broader market selloff and a critical short-seller report from Citron Research questioning whether the stock's valuation reflects its actual fundamentals. What happened: Palantir's stock closed in correction territory Tuesday before sinking further into bear market status Wednesday after six consecutive days of heavy selling. Shares accumulated a 15% loss from highs before crossing the 20% threshold that defines bear market territory. This marks the company's longest...
read Aug 20, 2025PTA-I: California schools launch AI training for parents as teachers save 6 weeks yearly
Modesto City Schools has introduced comprehensive artificial intelligence guidelines for classroom use, becoming the only district in Stanislaus County with a dedicated AI committee. The district will launch parent training sessions next month to help families support their children with the same AI tools being adopted in schools, marking a proactive approach to educational technology integration. What you should know: The district formed a 20-member AI committee including students, staff, and parents to establish responsible AI policies across all schools. The committee developed a guidebook titled "Modesto City Schools AI Exploration: Navigating Our Digital Future" along with brochures and posters...
read Aug 20, 2025Canada builds sovereign AI infrastructure to keep data cozy, warm and at home
Canada is making a bold play for AI independence. Buzz High Performance Computing (Buzz HPC), a subsidiary of publicly-traded Hive Digital Technologies, has partnered with Bell Canada to build nationwide AI infrastructure that keeps sensitive data entirely within Canadian borders—a concept known as "sovereign AI." This partnership addresses a growing concern among governments and enterprises: maintaining control over their most sensitive data while accessing cutting-edge AI capabilities. Rather than relying on foreign cloud providers, Canadian organizations will soon have access to powerful AI computing resources hosted exclusively in Canadian-owned facilities. The infrastructure backbone The collaboration centers on Bell AI Fabric,...
read Aug 20, 2025Meta launches AI tool that dubs and lip-syncs Reels in multiple languages
Meta has launched an AI-powered translation tool that automatically dubs and lip-syncs Reels videos in different languages, starting with English and Spanish translations. The feature, which was previewed at Meta Connect last year, aims to help creators expand their global reach by making their content accessible to international audiences while maintaining authentic voice characteristics and synchronized mouth movements. What you should know: The tool requires creators to have either 1,000 Facebook followers or a public Instagram account to access the feature. At launch, Meta AI Translations only supports English-to-Spanish and Spanish-to-English conversions, though more languages will be added in the...
read Aug 20, 2025Pixel Watch 4 adds curved display and satellite communication for $349
Google unveiled the Pixel Watch 4 at its Made by Google event, featuring a striking curved domed display beneath the signature teardrop glass design. The smartwatch maintains the same $349 starting price as its predecessor while delivering enhanced AI capabilities through Gemini integration, improved battery life, and upgraded internals including emergency satellite communication. What you should know: The Pixel Watch 4's most distinctive feature is its Actua 360 domed display that curves beneath the glass, creating better visibility at angles. The display offers 10% more active area and 15% smaller bezels compared to the Pixel Watch 3, with maximum brightness...
read Aug 20, 2025Google adds Gemini AI coach to Fitbit Premium this October
Google is integrating its Gemini AI into Fitbit to create an AI-powered health coach, marking the latest addition to the growing trend of AI-enhanced fitness wearables. The feature will be available to Fitbit Premium subscribers starting in October, transforming the platform from a passive data collector into an active wellness advisor that provides personalized fitness, sleep, and health guidance. What you should know: Fitbit's AI coach represents a fundamental shift in how wearable devices interact with users, moving beyond simple data collection to active health coaching.• The AI coach functions as a "fitness trainer, a sleep coach, and a health...
read Aug 19, 2025One good turn: Keychain raises $30M to replace legacy ERP systems with AI-powered OS
Keychain, an AI-powered marketplace for consumer packaged goods (CPG) manufacturers, has raised $30 million in Series B funding and launched KeychainOS, an AI operating system designed to replace legacy Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems in manufacturing. The company, founded by former Angi CEO Oisin Hanrahan, aims to capture market share in the $81.15 billion ERP market by offering a CPG-specific alternative that can be implemented in days rather than months. What you should know: Keychain has rapidly grown from a search-and-discovery platform to a comprehensive AI operating system serving major retailers and CPG brands. The company now serves more than...
read Aug 19, 2025Forget pandemics, 51% of workers believe AI will make physical offices obsolete
A new study reveals that 51% of workers believe artificial intelligence will eventually make physical offices obsolete, as AI tools increasingly enable remote work capabilities. The research, conducted by GoTo, an IT software company, and Workplace Intelligence, a market research firm, surveyed 2,500 workers across 10 countries and suggests AI is accelerating the cultural shift away from traditional office environments while raising complex questions about the future of workplace dynamics. What you should know: The majority of survey respondents see AI as a catalyst for improved work flexibility and productivity outside traditional office settings. 71% of workers believe AI could...
read Aug 19, 2025DeepSeek’s open-source AI model matches GPT-4 at 68x lower cost
DeepSeek, a Chinese AI startup backed by High-Flyer Capital Management, has released V3.1, a 685-billion parameter AI model that matches the performance of leading proprietary systems from OpenAI and Anthropic while remaining completely open source. The model scored 71.6% on the prestigious Aider coding benchmark—rivaling Claude Opus 4's performance at a fraction of the cost—potentially disrupting the traditional AI business model that relies on expensive API access and usage restrictions. What you should know: DeepSeek V3.1 delivers frontier-level AI capabilities through an innovative hybrid architecture that seamlessly combines chat, reasoning, and coding functions. The model processes up to 128,000 tokens...
read Aug 19, 2025Hardened customer experience officers with public-facing cred emerge as critical amid AI transformation
Chief customer experience officers are emerging as a critical C-suite role in the AI era, with technical expertise becoming essential alongside traditional customer advocacy skills. The position combines deep technological knowledge with human-centered leadership to deliver measurable business impact, as organizations increasingly recognize the need for dedicated executives to navigate complex customer relationships in an AI-driven landscape. What you should know: The customer experience officer role remains relatively new, with most current leaders pioneering the position within their organizations. According to Deloitte Digital, a consulting firm, 51% of experience officers are the first in their organization to serve in such...
read Aug 19, 2025Medieval Egyptian Mamluks offer blueprint for modern AI alignment concerns
Where historical Egypt meets technology is a lot more than "Stargate"-like entertainment. Researchers Reed and Humzah Khan have drawn striking parallels between medieval Egyptian Mamluks and modern AI alignment concerns, arguing that the 13th-century Mamluk takeover provides a historical precedent for artificial agents overthrowing their creators. Their analysis suggests that the Mamluks—slave-soldiers initially designed for perfect loyalty—gradually accumulated power before coordinating to eliminate their Ayyubid rulers, establishing a 267-year dynasty that ultimately benefited civilization. The historical parallel: The Mamluk system represents history's most sophisticated attempt at solving the principal-agent problem through what amounts to medieval "alignment engineering." Starting in the...
read Aug 19, 2025Salesforce acquires Regrello to boost AI workflow automation
Salesforce is acquiring San Francisco-based startup Regrello to enhance its Agentforce suite of autonomous AI agents for sales, service, and marketing workflows. The acquisition, expected to close by the end of 2024, represents Salesforce's fourth major purchase this year as it aggressively builds out its AI capabilities to compete in the enterprise automation market. What you should know: Regrello specializes in converting unstructured data into automated workflows, particularly for supply chain operations. The startup's technology will function as a middle layer for Agentforce, helping transform messy inputs like supplier contracts or shipment delay emails into actionable, multi-step workflows. "One of...
read Aug 19, 2025Hinterlands for the (H)internet: Applied Digital plans $3B AI data center campus in North Dakota
Applied Digital announced plans for a $3 billion AI data center campus in North Dakota, marking the company's second major project in the state. The 280-megawatt Polaris Forge 2 facility near Harwood will break ground in September 2025, strengthening North Dakota's position as a strategic hub for AI infrastructure development. What you should know: The massive data center campus represents Applied Digital's continued expansion in North Dakota's favorable business environment. Construction begins in September 2025 with initial operations planned for 2026 and full capacity by early 2027. The facility will create over 200 permanent jobs plus long-term contractor positions. Applied...
read Aug 19, 2025Google strikes nuclear power deal to fuel AI data centers
Google has struck a groundbreaking deal to power its data centers with advanced nuclear energy, marking a significant shift in how tech giants plan to meet their soaring electricity demands. The partnership involves Kairos Power, a nuclear technology company, and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), one of America's largest public power providers, to build a next-generation reactor specifically designed to support Google's operations. The collaboration centers on the Hermes 2 plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, which will begin delivering clean electricity to Google's data centers in Tennessee and Alabama starting in 2030. This represents the first time a U.S. utility...
read Aug 19, 2025AI helps 4K Liverpool students boost grades across 100 schools
Liverpool's 4,000 primary school students have improved their academic grades over the past school year after using Century AI, an artificial intelligence tool designed to automate teaching tasks. The pilot program demonstrates how AI can enhance educational outcomes by freeing teachers to focus more on student relationships rather than administrative work. What you should know: Century AI handles routine educational tasks so teachers can prioritize direct student interaction and instruction. The software automates marking, lesson planning, and data gathering, allowing educators to "focus on building human relationships with students." Century Tech, the company behind the tool, developed it using data...
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